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| Photo: Cuartoscuro |
Mexico City - Activists and relatives of people arrested during a demonstration on Monday in the Zócalo [central plaza] reported Tuesday that authorities conducted "arbitrary arrests".
"It's a case of arbitrary arrest, as on December 1, where the Human Rights Commission of the Federal District (CDHDF) issued a recommendation which said that more than 90% of the arrests were arbitrary," Miguel Mendez, a member of the Lawyers League for December 1, said at a press conference.Mendez was referring to the disturbances during the inauguration of Enrique Peña Nieto in December 2012, in which 69 people were arrested. Activists reported at the time that the arrests occurred at different times and places than where the riots occurred.
The arrests occurred during Monday's march to commemorate the Halconazo, an episode of repression that took place on June 10, 1971.
The Lawyers League announced that it has counted 27 prisoners, including two minors, although the Attorney General of the Federal District (PGJDF) confirmed Tuesday to CNNMéxico that the official figure is 22, 19 men and three women.
On Tuesday, the activists set forth a version other than that given on Monday by the Secretariat of Public Security [police] of the Federal District (SSP-DF) on how the events occurred. Local authorities say that during the arrests there was "respect for human rights", and they were made in response to attacks by masked men.
Jenni Godinez, of the League of Lawyers for December 1, said that "one group was arrested 40 minutes before the rally ended and another an hour later" so they were not caught in any criminal action.
"We are not aware that people involved in the riots are part of the detainees," she added.The first group of 15 people were arrested on Regina Street after leaving the Zócalo 40 minutes before the end of the rally, according to Josefina Perez, an aunt of one of the detainees, Sergio Abraham Mendez, 26. The youth is a doctoral student in Latin American Studies, a teacher of Social and Political Sciences, and a #YoSoy132 movement activist, according to his aunt.
Detainees face three charges: attacks on the public peace, insults to authorities and injuries. The police have said that five policemen were injured. The charges allow the arrested to leave prison on bail, according to attorney Miguel Mendez. The lawyer added that he has not had contact with the detainees and still doesn't have access to their records. He also mentioned that members of the SSP-DF removed the chips to their cell phones.
The local prosecutor, Rodolfo Rios, said Tuesday in an interview with media that the young people also could also face charges for theft, according to a report by Notimex [Mexican government news agency].
The prosecutors are analyzing videos recorded by security cameras in the area to determine whether any of the detainees were involved in the seizure of the administrative offices of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) or the disturbances on December 1, the prosecutor said.
The deadline of 48 hours for authorities to define the legal status of the detainees will end Wednesday at 10:00 pm, the PGJDF confirmed to CNNMéxico.
Several detainees mentioned on Monday belong to the Federation of Anarchists, Anarchist Revolutionary Alliance, Coordinating Committee of Student Anarchists and the Anarchist Black Cross.
Several organizations will undertake a march on Tuesday to demand the release of detainees. This will start from Investigating Agency #50 [where the arrested are being held] and head to the offices of the Government of the Federal District in the Zocalo. Spanish original